Countless homes throughout the world are being monitored by a home security system. These systems help protect against burglaries, carbon monoxide, fires and floods. These potential dangers can have catastrophic results, which is why homeowners seek the safety of a security provider that they can trust with their lives (literally).

But have you ever questioned how a security system actually works? It’s more complex than a siren sounding when the alarm system is set off when an entryway is opened or tampered with.

Here’s a look at how home monitoring systems operate:

Digital Keypad
The digital keypad is at the very core of any security system. With it, you can both arm and disarm the system. There is a provided 2-way communication feature that is also accessible on the digital keypad. 2-way communication allows users to directly communicate with an ADT monitoring professional, 24/7 for any reason.

Window and Door Sensors

Window and door sensors are more complicated than they appear. They form an unbroken circuit when a window or door is properly closed. If the alarm system is armed and a window or door is either opened or tampered with, the circuit is no longer intact, which sets the alarm off.

Burglars will first check for unlocked entryways (windows and doors), so despite the fact that your alarm system comes equipped with sensors, you should always ensure that everything is locked.

Alarms
Anytime the alarm is triggered by a disturbed window or door sensor, a high-decibel alarm siren will sound. This sound will alert anyone inside the house as well as neighbors in the nearby area. The siren will scare away any intruders trying to enter the home. In addition to this, the alarm signal will be immediately sent to a monitoring center, which appropriately handles the emergency situation.

Monitoring Center
When your alarm signal is sent to a monitoring center, an ADT professional is at hand to quickly notify local emergency personnel, such as the police, as well as contact you concerning the alarm being triggered. The police will dispatch to your home in a matter of minutes. You can also verify whether the alarm has gone off due to an emergency or a false alarm.

One thing to note is that if you have ADT Pulse, you can remotely check the status of your alarm system from anywhere, even before a situation arises. You’ll be in the know, even while you are away.

Technology is changing how we interact with daily life—how we communicate to one another, how we travel (think of the emergence of self-driving cars), and now…how we manage and control items within the home. When thinking of smart home gadgets and accessories, you automatically think of how that makes everyday tasks easier. And with that comes 3 great advantages: home automation, enhanced home security and greener living.

Here’s how each is a key advantage of having a smart home—with examples of products available to homeowners.

Home Automation

Home automation enables the remote access of household products using a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. This means that anywhere you go, things such as thermostats, lights, door locks, garages and appliances can be controlled and monitored. With an app and a centralized home hub (such as the Amazon Echo, Lenovo Smart Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, etc.) homes are being quickly transformed. The following products provide a small example of home automation devices.

• Ecobee3 Thermostat with Sensor (2nd Generation)

The Ecobee3 is a smart thermostat that connects via Wi-Fi. It also comes with room sensors that individually read and can adjust the temperatures in various rooms—unlike your run-of-the-mill thermostat that only reads one home temperature. What’s more is that when no one is occupying a room, the Ecobee3 automatically sets a temperature that will help enhance energy savings (such as increasing the A/C temperature during the summer, rather than keeping it cooler).

Much like many smart devices available, the Ecobee3 is compatible with Amazon Alexa, for hand-free voice control—you just need a device that supports Alexa (such as the Echo or Echo Dot). It is also compatible with Apple HomeKit (a home hub that operates through Apple TV). Temperatures can also be remotely adjusted via the Ecobee app. So this one device not only has remote accessibility when away, but it also operates via voice command while at home.

• Wemo Light Switch

Get home, go turn the lights on; leave the room, turn the lights off—it’s a process everyone does…until now. The Wemo light switch allows you to remotely automate lights anywhere you are. Whether it’s a living room lamplight, porch light or hallway light, you can remotely turn them on or off with the touch of a smart screen.

Imagine getting home late at night; rather than fumbling around in the dark, you can turn your lights on before leaving the car. The Wemo also has additional features, such as: light schedules for both day and night & an “Away Mode” that essentially replaces traditional light timers for the instances that you are out of town. In addition to the app for remote accessibility, this device also works with Amazon Alexa. So it’ll respond to voice commands while you are at home.

• NEXX GARAGE Remote Garage Door Opener

There are times that you question whether or not you’ve closed the door—usually after you’ve driven off and are away. The NEXX remote garage opener can be managed remotely via an app (as long as your smartphone or tablet has a Wi-Fi connection). You can even monitor the history of your garage door opening and closing—a great security feature. A particularly great thing about this device is that it can be easily installed yourself and it’s compatible with most garage door openers.

Enhanced Home Security

Smart devices help enhance home security by allowing homeowners to view and monitor what happens both inside and outside their homes. Some devices are even compatible with home security providers, but you’ll have to check to see what devices are compatible with various security systems. The following devices help boost home security protection.

• Ring Video Doorbell Pro

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro combines the simplicity of a doorbell yet adds a security camera and 2-way voice. So any time anyone approaches and rings the doorbell, the homeowner is alerted on their smartphone/tablet of the visitor. They can both see the visitor with the built-in camera AND be able to speak to them. If the homeowner is unavailable to answer, the Ring Video Doorbell has an away feature that delivers customized away messages.

• Nest Cam Indoor security camera

Devices such as the Ring Video Doorbell provide remote security outside the home, but other devices, such as the Nest Cam Indoor security camera, monitor what’s occurring within the home. The device can be mounted nearly anywhere and features 2-way audio for voice communication. The Nest Cam Indoor security camera also has a motion detector; when it detects motion, it will take snapshots of the detected area. Alerts are then sent to the homeowner’s phone via text or email.

Greener Living

In particular, home automation capabilities greatly help homes cut down on energy consumption. Since devices can be managed and controlled anywhere using a smartphone or tablet, it’s easier to program the thermostat to a specific temperature or turn lights on/off. Just as a reference, home heating is 40% of an energy bill. Each degree lowered (in the cooler months) or increased (in the hotter months) saves about $5. A light bulb accidentally left on during the night costs over $20. So home automation is a great component when it comes to green living. Your energy bill will thank you with this smart home technology.

Now with the summer officially here, it’s common to want to go out and travel to various places. After all, there are plenty of destinations to explore and cultural wonders to discover. Whether you are going to another area in Canada, or are about to journey to another country, you can now remotely monitor and control your home from nearly any location (as long as there is an Internet connection).
ADT Pulse enables you to monitor your home using your smartphone, tablet or laptop. So now you can always know the status of your home security system with the simple glance of your mobile device. Other benefits of ADT Pulse include a number of useful home automation features. These include: lighting control, thermostat control, appliance control, the ability to lock/unlock doors and open/close the garage door.

Home Automation Enhances Remote Security

Having the ability to do the features listed above can greatly enhance your home security while you are away from home. For instance, being able to both lock/unlock doors and open/close the garage door ensures that your home is properly sealed.
It seems that every time someone leaves the house, there’s that nagging worry about whether or not a door was locked, or whether the garage door went down. Now that can all be put to rest with the simple touch of your touchscreen. Perhaps you are concerned about your home looking dark and unoccupied. Pulse’s remote lighting control is a great feature to use while away—and it works with Z-Wave connected indoor and outdoor lights.

Receive Custom Alerts and Notifications

When it comes down to it, ADT Pulse really means never leaving your home alone ever again. This is especially true since you are able to set up which types of alerts and notifications you’ll receive via email and text. Want to know when a scheduled maintenance worker has arrived, or when someone approaches the property? No problem. Just set up which type of notifications you’d like to be aware about.

See How Pulse Works

Want to know more about ADT Pulse? Learn more about it’s remote security features.

Canadian winters can be brutally cold. Whether you are knee deep in snow, or just want to escape the frigid air outside, you can stay warm while being energy-efficient. This winter, don’t let your energy bill break the bank.

Here are 3 tips to help you save energy this season:

1. Use the Sun as a Free Heat Source

It’s amazing what a little sunlight can do. By opening your south-facing window blinds and curtains during the day, you could save anywhere between 2 to 21 percent on your heating bill. Just remember to close them when the sunsets! Also keep in mind that you can further use the sun to your advantage if you have good window insulation. After all, sunlight won’t be of much help if you have cold air streaming into your home from poorly insulated windows. An issue like that could be costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars in utility costs.

2. Use Ceiling Fans for Better Airflow

Ceiling fans can spin in two different directions: clockwise and counter-clockwise. All you have to do is look for a small flip switch on the base of the fan to adjust the settings. Setting your fan to spin clockwise will create a warmer airflow (set it to this during the winter). So during the summer months, be sure to change the fan direction to counter-clockwise. It’ll push the warmer air up…and away from you. Using your ceiling fans correctly will greatly help your thermostat settings.

3. At Night, Turn Down The Temperature

Most people use heavier bed quilts, blankets and sheets. Also, the body generates plenty of warmth when it’s at rest. You can conserve a lot of home energy by turning down the thermostat before you turn in for the night. The U.S. Department of energy lists that you could save nearly 10 percent of your energy bill each year, just by lowering the thermostat by 10-15 degrees for eight hours.

So what should you set the thermostat to while you are home? During the winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime. And for the summer, set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime. And if you have an ADT Pulse monitoring system, you could even remotely manage your thermostat for the optimum daily temperatures.

Contact us if you want to learn more about ADT Pulse and it’s home energy benefits!

The holiday season is finally here! As you prepare to spend some quality time with friends and family, there are a few holiday safety tips to consider. This time of year, it isn’t uncommon for burglars to target specific homes—looking for items, like: cash, jewelry, watches, small electronics, guns and more.

Homes without a security system are three times more likely to be burglarized. Good thing you (hopefully) have an ADT home monitoring system! But, if you currently don’t have one, don’t leave things up to chance any longer. It’s time to protect your home and your loved ones 24 hours a day; seven days a week. ADT home monitoring is the solution to having a complete peace of mind.

We’ve compiled a list of safety tips that can help minimize the likelihood of you experiencing a home invasion; here they are:

Keep your lawn well landscaped. It’s essential to keep your trees and bushes from hiding the view of potential entryways. Try to keep all windows and doors from being visibly blocked. A burglar could take an unruly landscape to their advantage.

Keep all presents and valuables from being out in the open. It’s beautiful to see everyone’s holiday lights outside and a number of Christmas trees in people’s windows. Unfortunately, these very things that attract you also attract the unwanted attention of potential burglars. It’s crucial to keep all of your presents and valuables away from plain view. It just puts a bad spin to the phrase, “window shopping.”

Remember to lock all of your windows and doors—even if you are home. You never know when a home invasion will occur. Surprisingly, a high number of burglars will even enter from the front door. Also, don’t leave a spare key outside…no matter how well you think it’s hidden. People are inventive…someone could find it easily under that inconspicuous rock or pot.

If you are going out of town, don’t share your holiday plans on social media. It’s a great way to broadcast which days a potential burglar could “come on over.”

Set your holiday lights on an automatic timer. If you are away, it’s a good idea to make it look like people could be home.

Ask your mail carrier to hold your mail; do the same with your newspaper service.

Be cautious of anyone doing door-to-door solicitations during this time of year. They could be scouting the area.

Be careful how you toss out empty boxes that contained presents. Putting these out for recycling advertises the contents that’s now inside your home.

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season! Please contact us for any other holiday safety questions!

Everyone loves a good, funny holiday movie. One that may even come to mind might even be Home Alone. You know the film— where little eight year old Kevin McCallister is accidently left home alone…and chooses to defend his home against two, not-so-bright burglars. It’s a great holiday movie that will certainly bring a few laughs, but what if a similar event happened to you? The reality of the situation would be far from comical.

In fact, home burglaries happen at an alarming rate during the holidays. Ask yourself, whether your home fully protected in the event of a break-in. Along with ADT’s advanced home security systems, these safety precautions will go a long ways each holiday season:

If you have an alarm system, a visible sticker or lawn sign are great at deterring potential burglars

If you will be out of the house for a prolonged time, try setting your lights on timers or leave the TV on—it’s important to make your home look like someone is home

Holiday lights are attractive to see; just not for home burglars

If you keep gift receipts and also list the serial numbers of the items, it will help police track the items in the event that they are stolen

Do not advertise travel plans on social media or gifts received

Be cautions with solicitors this time of year; don’t let them come inside your home

Try to have packages delivered during times that you know you’ll be home

Break down boxes of holiday items—this will prevent items from being advertised out on the curb

Don’t advertise your tree and presents through an easily seen window or entry point

Have a trusted friend, neighbor, etc. watch over your home

Have your mail and newspaper held

Be safe this holiday season. Follow these tips and enjoy what truly matters—important friends and family. Keep the home intruders out of your home—unless, of course, it’s only on the TV.

Andrea Fisheris an online marketer and content specialist for iPhone spy software. She has been published in a variety of publications, including the Chicago Tribune and Business Insider. You can follow her other posts on Twitter.

Did you know? Burglars often target valuables like: cash, jewelry, laptops, guns, digital cameras, small electronics (iPods, GPS, PDA’s MP3’s and CD’s) that are easy to use or resell. But you can avoid these hidden dangers by protecting your home, loved ones and your finances year round with ADT in Canada.

Home security is not a luxury; it’s a necessity- home invasions can happen anywhere, at any time. There are 8,000+ reported home invasions each year across North America… Canada included. There’s also a property crime every three seconds and a home burglary every 10 seconds. So why face these startling odds alone?

The average burglary victim is set back by thousands of dollars in loss between the theft and property damage. It’s time to call ADT home security for Canada; we’ll have you covered no matter the issue.

ADT offers state-of-the-art home security equipment; backed by the latest technology. Be secure and protected 24/7 with our rapid response in the event of an emergency. Home security should be in the hands of the pros.

Guest contributor Andrea Fisher is an onlinemarketer and content specialist for iPhone spy apps and Followers Boosts.She has been published in a variety of publications, including the Chicago Tribune and Business Insider. You can also follow her on Twitter: @andreafisher007

Put your inner travel bug to good use. But, before any travel arrangements are made, be sure to take the time to properly secure your home. Taking the right precautions will limit the chances of a home fire or burglary from occurring.

ADT offers the best in home security. With nearly 140 years of home security under our belts, and more than 6 million loyal customers, we know a thing or two at keeping you, your loved ones and your property safe.

It’s time to leave the worrying up to the pros; we will keep your home safe, regardless of your destination. We accommodate even the most active and mobile of lifestyles. So, this summer, go enjoy your vacation without worry.

We recommend 5 basic tips that will add to the security of your property:

1) Don’t post your travel plans on social media

Social media has become an important component of everyday life. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. display our daily whereabouts with great detail. Ask yourself, “Who can see my posts?” and “What can they do with this knowledge?”

While planning to leave your home unattended, do not post your plans on social media outlets— they are a great resource for potential burglars. The attention simply is not worth the risk.

2) Ask someone keep an eye out on your property

ADT will quickly respond to all of your 24/7 home security needs, but we also understand the comfort of having a nearby neighbor or friend to come and check your property. Feel free to ask someone you can trust if they can just keep an eye open— and let you know if anything looks out of the ordinary.

3) Hold the mail and newspaper

Nothing says a house is unattended better than mail spilling out of the mailbox or a stack of newspapers scattered throughout the yard. Before going out of town, be sure to hold your mail and newspaper deliveries. Simply go to online, and complete the hold mail and newspaper forms.

4) Secure the property before leaving

Before leaving for vacation, take the extra time to ensure that your property is secure. Check that all the doors and windows are properly locked. In addition, check that the oven is off and that unneeded appliances are unplugged. Burglary isn’t the only thing that can harm your home. Do everything in your power to prevent a potential house fire.

Luckily, ADT provides fire protection with every installed home security system— a well-invested bonus in home security.

5) Make your home look lived-in

Having a dark house, vacant house, when everything is typically lit up and active, is a clear indicator that the house is empty. Invest in timers, and set them in specific rooms; they will give your home a lived-in appearance.

Don’t take any unneeded risks this summer. With ADT, and these five top safety measures, be free to go on vacation, knowing you have done everything to protect your home. Remember, a happy home is an intact home.

Next day installation subject to availability in your area. $99.00 Customer Installation Charge. 36-Month Monitoring Agreement starting from $33.99 per month ($1,223.64). Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new ADT Authorized Dealer customers only and not on purchases from ADT Security Services, Inc. Other rate plans available. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Shipping and Handling Fee applies.